To sock or not to sock...

[BestMomEver]

Let me preface this by saying I hate filter socks. They are a major pain in my behind. I know they have a place in my system because when I pull one out to replace it, they are filthy nasty. But I’m considering taking them out and using that section as a refugium only. I could prolly do both in that chamber but I’m not sure how it would work. Are there any of you that go sockless?

 

[Crabs McJones]

I've often considered it. I do still run one however. If my drain was able to empty into my refugium I'd do it in a heartbeat. But mine emptys into my skimmer section, and I don't want that getting all nasty before the chaeto has a chance to uptake it. But there are plenty of people running without socks

 

[Dsnakes]

I don’t use socks. I do place in filter floss on days that I stir the sand bed. Once that’s settled and filtered out, I remove the floss.

 

[Rjukan]

I tried out a sock for the first several months of running my system. I liked the idea of it straining the water except when I would take it out to change it I would have to try and get all of the pods out of it.

So I stopped using one and haven't noticed any negative effects in my sump or with my skimmer. What I did notice was there wasn't a film on the water surface in the DT anymore. It wasn't a bad film, but it was noticable if you looked for it. Of course it could be coincidence but it was enough for me to stop using a sock. Instead I'll use it for cleaning (when using a siphon to clean the tank into the sump), or if I turkey blast the display I'll run one for a bit to get the suspended particles.

 

[PDR]

I have gone back and forth several times but have decided to run filter socks changed weekly. When I ran sockless my chaeto got absolutely filthy.

Edit: Now that I no longer have chaeto and am trying a cryptic zone in my sump, I am going sockless for now. We'll see how it goes...

 

[mark freshwater]

I added a sock when i added my sump a few weeks ago along with a UV , my tank has never looked cleaner , the amount of filth it got out clogged and overflowed the sock within 24hrs , but now i change it once a week.
I use a single sock hang on bracket and where the screws are on the bracket i took them out and i wedge a piece of foam in place of the screws , which makes changing as simple as sliding the bracket up and over etc.
the 10 mins to hose it a week is well worth the effort and i have 2 spare socks.
It ssems to polish the water aswell.

 

[mta_morrow]

Consider nylon mesh socks. They catch the big stuff and rinse clean by hand quickly.
I use felt socks only when I clean or stir the sand.

 

[Indymann99]

I too have gone sock / no-sock over the years. In the last 5yrs I have had a supply of 6 socks and change out every week. This is usually just before the sock is overflowing. I collect the (disgusting) dirty socks in a IO bucket and wash in the clothes washer every 2 weeks.

For the years I did NOT run socks I found I had to shop vac my skimmer section in the sump with every water change (every 2 weeks)... so I was removing the crud one way or another...

 

[vetteguy53081]

Ive been running socks for 7+ years without issue and find them full of sediment/waste Every time. As an experiment, I just orderd and received the New Filter cups and upon next need to pull socks which for me is every 6 days, I will be putting mesh bags with media in the cups to see how effective they are. I am of course leaving One sock on sump ( I have triple socks) to catch and trap free floating particles

 

[vetteguy53081]

These are aquarium approved !!!

 

[Devaji]

I run a filter cup with filter floss just reach in a toss and replace every 3 -5 days or 7 when I get busy...

 

[wesman42]

I feel like the impact of not having a sock on small marine life like plankton and copepods to be a bit overwhelming. For my experience, I have found that the sock removes less waste and more good biological life than it's worth. On my first tank I ran a sock...but I had to continuously restore copepods in the system and it just wasn't worth it. I currently run filter floss during cleanings, and carbon all the time.

 

[Indymann99]

I feel like the impact of not having a sock on small marine life like plankton and copepods to be a bit overwhelming. For my experience, I have found that the sock removes less waste and more good biological life than it's worth. On my first tank I ran a sock...but I had to continuously restore copepods in the system and it just wasn't worth it. I currently run filter floss during cleanings, and carbon all the time.

Very good point... I often cringe at the number of pods that go in the trash with the sock, while seeing virtually zero pods in the DT...

 

[pecan2phat]

The one time I tried sock-less for 6 months, I relented and went back.
Couldn't take the salt creep from water either bubbling below the surface, tried to make a container with rubble to break the exiting water above the surface which didn't really solve the salt creep. Sump was full of detritus after the trial period.

 

[Rich Klein]

I removed my filter socks and turned my 1st chamber into a chaeto refugium (with lots of pods), and have never looked back. I hated changing them.

 

[ScottandAlisa]

I DIY-ed a filter cup out of an old infuser water bottle I never use. Drilled some holes along the sides and stuffed “filter floss” I get at the craft store for cheap. Change it about once a week/two weeks and one bag lasts almost a year... cheap, easy, and doesnt catch too many copepods because the wholes are big enough for them to squirm out of.

 

[ScottandAlisa]

I DIY-ed a filter cup out of an old infuser water bottle I never use. Drilled some holes along the sides and stuffed with “filter floss” (quilting batting) I get at the craft store for cheap. Change it about once a week/two weeks and one bag lasts almost a year... cheap, easy, effective and doesnt catch too many copepods because the holes are big enough for them to squirm out of.

 

[sghera64]

Been sockless for 15 yrs. No problems. I now use two 20 gal aquariums connected in series by an overflow box as my sump. First one is a chaeto fuge and the second has the skimmer. No baffles in either - except the two tank arrangement is like one big baffle. My chaeto sump acts like a settling pond where all the debris settles out before the water overflows to the second sump.

Water is clear and I get to keep all the pods alive and multiplying in the system. They don’t get removed by socks.

 

[Gregg @ ADP]

I never use socks.

When I want to trap particulate, I use a couple of layers of fairly coarse filter pad, like the LifeGard Aquatics coarse. I like it because you can cut it to fit your sump and it can stand up vertically. Water can’t go around it, detritus is either trapped or knocked down in front of it for easy removal, but a lot of micro-organisms can get through it. It will also prevent bubbles from getting to your pump intake if you have it placed downstream from drain chamber and skimmer.

Super easy to pull out and clean in the sink.

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

I have run socks and no socks and maybe it me doing it wrong but I decided to not use them. When I did use them they made the water cleaner and it was nice. But they always spiked my nitrates every time to the 20-40 ppm. I would change then twice a week and wash them super hot water but I have one of those (hey let’s not use much water front (dumb loading water saving ones lol) when I had my normal washer it actually made them really clean. This gets them clean but I’m mixed on it.

Secondly I only used straight hot hot hot water no chemicals at all. But my nitrates sit at 5 ppm with out them and I struggle to keep them at 20 with them. So I would say if they help your tank then by all means, but if they don’t I would not use them.